ESD: Safety footwear used in areas where the generation of static electricity equipment or ignite flammable materials. The footwear alows small charges of static electricity to be dissipated into the walking surface, thus reducing the accumulation of static electricity. Examples include people who work on circuit boards, computer chips or paint shops. These shoes should not be worn in areas where there are open circuits or highly charged equipment.

Conductive: Safety footwear used in areas with highly volatile materials and must be completely grounded to prevent any build up of static electricity. It is made with special materials and cements that offer no electrical resistance. Examples include people who work in munitions plants, fireworks factories, petroleum refineries and rocket fuel production. These shoes should not be worn in areas where there are open circuits or highly charged equiptment as they offer no protection.